Graduate students pursuing their own research may be eligible to apply for research fellowships. These offerings normally apply to doctoral or post-doctoral students, though in some cases students pursuing master's degrees may be eligible. Research fellowships are usually discipline-specific. Thus, interested students should research the large nonprofit organizations in their fields. For example, the National Science Foundation offers generous research fellowships, while the Library of Congress offers fellowships in International Studies for post-doctoral students. Depending on students' interests and the field they wish to pursue, research fellowships can go a long way toward the cost of a graduate education.
Students still pursuing their master's degrees may find that their eligibility for research fellowships is limited. They may wish to look into other foundations and scholarship that focus on particular fields of study. These programs, sometimes connected to particular government agencies, offer stipends and scholarships that can be very generous. The Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship, connected to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, provides students with up to $30,000 a year, along with an annual cost-of-education allowance of up to $12,000, as well as further support for a short-term research project. Other programs in different fields may also provide support for expenses outside of traditional coursework.
With dozens of famous alumni and generous stipends, students pursuing (or willing to pursue) graduate studies in a foreign country should consider applying for a Fulbright grant. The Fulbright program, which was founded in 1946, is a U.S.-government funded project that gives financial support to students studying in foreign countries for one year. Generally, grants are not renewable; however, they provide an excellent opportunity to pursue research outside of U.S. academia. Students who have a research project in mind should find a university in their proposed country that is willing to accept them as a student before they apply. However, if you don't have a proposed research project, you might consider applying for an English Teaching Assistantship, which is available in more than 50 countries. You must have earned a bachelor's degree before the proposed starting date.